John Paul II / Karol Wojtyla (1920 - 2005)

His pontificate passed away last night. For a man who was pretty much the most conservative man alive by definition, he was actually surprisingly radical. He had good sides and bad sides, and one shouldn't make him completely a saint or a sinner after his death. He did good things (I was particularly happy he was such a strong defender of human rights), and he did bad things (announcing that condoms don't stop aids, condemning homosexuality etc). I'm very excited to hear who the next one will be.

Anyone interested in his long and interesting life should read the New York Times mammoth 21-page obituary.